Patent 7861128 was granted and assigned to Xilinx on December, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A scan element with self scan-mode toggle is described. In an example, the scan element is configured to automatically switch between a capture mode and a scan mode. In the capture mode, data is captured from logic under test. In the scan mode, the captured data is scanned out for testing. The scan elements each include a shift register that serves a dual purpose of providing control for determining when the scan element is to switch from the capture mode and the scan mode, as well as providing a location to store captured data.